Spraying apparatus



Dec. 22, 1942. A. J TROYER 2,305,913

SPRAYING APPARATUS SPRAYING APPARATUS Filed May 2o, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Dec. 22, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE sPRAYlNG APPARATUS Abner J. Troyer, Smithville, ohio Application May zo, 1940, serial No. 336,111

(ci. 29e- 39) 2 Claims.

The invention relates generally to apparatus for spraying vegetation, and more particularly to apparatus for spraying a plurality of spaced apart rows of crops.

In general terms, the invention includes a sprayer beam carrying a series of spray nozzles extending transversely of the supporting vehicle and pivoted thereon at its central portion for being swung vertically, said swinging `Inovement being controlled from the drivers seat of the vehicle, and the end portions of the sprayer beam being foldable alongside the vehicle by vacuum -cylinder means which yieldingly maintains the beam end portions in extended position.

Referring to the drawings forming part hereof,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a spraying apparatus embodying the present improvements, showing the end portions of the sprayer beam in folded position alongside the vehicle;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view somewhat enlarged, showing the sprayer beam in extended position transversely of the vehicle;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof, 'showing the beam swung vertically to an adjusted position,. in dot-dash lines;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation taken at the rear side of the sprayer beam, ason line 4 4, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View as on line 5-5, Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a more or less diagrammatic view showing the vacuum cylinder for controlling the folding wings of the sprayer beam, and the operating connections therefor.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the drawings, the improved spraying apparatus is shown mounted on the front end of a conventional automotive vehicle indicated generally at 1, having a drivers seat 8 located behind the engine hood 9, and a usual steering wheel l for controlling the front wheels II of the vehicle. An additional motor indicated at M may be mounted on the rear end of the vehicle for driving a fluid pump for supplying spraying iluid under pressure. y

Preferably, an upright frame is supported on the front end of vehicle 1, and includes laterally spaced upright angle posts I2 supported at their lower ends on a transverse channel I3 which may be secured to the frame of vehicle 1 in any suitable manner. A transverse angle I4 connects the upright angles I2 near their upper ends, and as best shown in Fig. 3, a series of bolt holes I are preferably provided in the upper end Vportions of angles I2 for connecting the transverse angle ing the frame I6 to adjust the height of the sprayer beam above the ground preferably includes a vertical screw I8 journaled' in a suitable thrust bearing I9 supported on transverse angle I4, and the screw I8 is threadedly engaged in an internally threaded sleeve member secured in and extending 'across the top and bottom portions of the rectangular frame I6. A crank handle 2| may be provided at the upper end of screw I8 for rotating the same to raise and lower the rectangular frame and with it the sprayer beam.

The pivotal vmounting for the sprayer beam preferably includes a shaft 22 extending horizontally through the web of channel I'I and through a plate 23, secured across the legs of channel II midway of its ends', as by welding. The shaft 22 projects forwardly from the channel I'I, and the central beam member 24 of the transverse beam is pivotally mounted 0n said projecting shaft end. The central beam member 241s preferably constructed of sheet metal in box-like form to provide a hollow beam member of rectangular cross section, and the projecting end of pivot shaft 22 is provided with nut and washer means 25 for holding the beam member 24 in place on the pivot shaft 22.

U-shaped straps 26 are secured at their ends to the top and bottom portions of rectangular frame I6 and engirdle the box-likebeam member 24 for permitting limited vertical swinging movement thereof on the shaft 22, the top and bottom legs 2l of the straps 26 serving as stops for engaging thebeam member 24 to limit its vertical swinging movement.

The central beam member 24 projects laterally a substantial distance beyond the upright frame members I2 at each side thereof, and vertical hinge pins 2B are provided in the outer ends of said beam member 24 on which pins Vare journaled, the overlapping inner ends ofthe outer beam portions or folding wings indicated generally at 29.

, bottom angle 3|,as by welding.

l `vertical struts 32 extending vbetween and secured thereto. Beyond the outer' strut 32 the top bar is preferably bent downwardly as shown at 33 and secured at 34 to the outer end gf the The inner end portions of the top bars 36 and the bottom angles 3i overlap the outer endsl oi' the central beam member 24, and vertical strap bars 35 connectl the extreme inner endsof said bars 38 and angles 3l on the front side oi' beam member 24, sol that when the wings 29 are in extended position as shown in Figs. 2, v3 and 4, the strap bars 35 prevent the wings 29 from swinging forwardly beyond@ position of align- -ment with beam member 24.

'Ihe sprayer beam supports a header pipe in three sections, one depending from the central beam member 24 and one depending from each beam wing 29. The central pipe section 36 is carried by brackets 31 secured to and depending from the beammember 24 at opposite sides of the upright frame members I2, and the pipe wing sections 38 are carried in depending brackets 39- secured at intervals to the wings 30.

The pipe sections 36 and 38 are connected together by flexibleconduit means such as the hose connections 40, so as to permit the pipe wing sections 38 to Vfold with the beam wing sections 29. The pipe sections 36 and 38 are provided at spaced intervals with pairs of depending sprayer nozzles indicated generally at 4l of usual construction, for discharging quantities of sprayer uid in the form of mist onto the rows of crops or vegetation as the vehicle is moved. between the rows. 'I'he central pipe section 36 may the bottom angles 3| vof be connected, as shown at 42 in Fig. 4, with a source of supply of spraying fluid under pressure which is pumped through a conduit 42' (Fig. 2)

from therear end of the vehicle.

The means for vertically swinging the sprayer beam as a whole about the pivot 22 preferably includes an operating rod 43 extending longitudinally of the vehicle and having a hand wheel 44 on its rear end near the driversseat. 'I'he front end of the operating rod 43 is operatively connected to a worm and gear member 45 which is supported on a bracket plate 46 welded at its bottom end on the leg 21 of one of the straps 426. An arm 41 is secured at its inner end on the shaft 48 of the worm gear, and the arm 41 ispivotally connected at its outer end at 49 to the upper end of a depending link 50. The lower end of the depending link 50 is pivotally connected to a stud 5i which is secured as by welding to dash positions indicated in Fig. 2, and for yieldingly maintaining the wings 29 in their extended positions in alignment with the central beam member 24 preferably includes a vacuum cylinder 62 connected with the intake of the vehicle motor and pivotally mounted on the rear side of the ciprocable' in the cylinder. and a piston rod 56 "u extends from the piston through the other end' of the cylinder and is connected at its outer end to vone arm 51 of a Y-shaped bell crank lever 53. The lever 58 is pivotally mounted cn the rear end of the pivot shaft 22 and a bushing 59 surrounds the shaft between the lever 58 and the plate 23 through which the shaft extends. vA screw 66 journals the lever 58 and holds it on. the end of the pivot shaft 22.

Thevother arms 6I and 62 of the bell crank lever 56 extend outwardly from the central pivot in opposite directions and are pivotally connected at their outer ends to wing operating links 63 and 64 respectively` The outer end of the link 63 is pivoted to an ear 65 secured to the top bar 30 of one wing 29, and the outer end of link 64 is pivoted at its outer end to an ear 66 connected to the bottom angle 3l of the other wing 28.

Referring to Fig. 4, the piston is shown in position to hold the bell crank lever 58 and links 6,3 and 64 in the position which maintains the wings 29 in extended position. When the position of the piston 55 is reversed, the bell crank 58 will assume the dot-dash position of Fig. 4 causing the links 63 and 64 to fold the wings alongside the vehicle to their dot-dash positions shown in Fig. 2. It will be noted from the dotdash position of the lever 58 in Fig. 4 that the pivotal connection between the piston rod 56 and the bell crank arm 51 does not swing over center with respect to the pivot 60, even when the wings are in their folded position.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 angle posts 61 are provided at the sides of the vehicle having vertically spaced pins 68 projecting outwardly therefrom, on which the outer ends of the bottom angles 3| of the beam wings may be supported in folded position.

Referring to Fig. 6, the vacuum cylinder prei'- erably has its opposite ends connected by conduits 69 and 10 to a four-Way valve Il which is preferably located Within easy reach of the operator of the Vehicle. The conduits 69 and 18 are connected to valve ports 69' and 10', and the valve is also provided with an exhaust port 12 communicating with the atmosphere and with an intake port 13 connected by a conduit 14 with the intake manifold of the gasoline motor of the vehicle. A valve handle 15 is provided for rotatingvthe core of the valve to operate the piston 55 in the vacuum cylinder.

In the position shown in Fig. 6 the intake pipe 14 communicates with the conduit 69 to relieve the air pressure on the left side of the piston, and at the same time conduit 10 communicates through port 12 with the atmosphere to supply atmospheric pressure on the right side of the pis, ton and maintain the piston in the position shown in Fig. 4 to hold the wings 29 in the extended position. While the wings are held in this position if one or both of them should strike an obstruction as they vehicle moves along tending to fold the wings, the shock of the impact would be cushioned by the air pressure yieldingly resisting movement of the piston 55, and the air pressure would return the wings to extended position when the obstruction was past,

so that little or no damage would result to the -spraying apparatus.

When it ls desired to fold the wings the valve handle 15 is moved 90 to its opposite position when the intake 14 communicates with the conduit lll and the atmosphere port 12 communicates with the conduit 69 to reversethe position of the piston, moving the bell crank to its dotdash position of Fig. 4, and actuating the links 63 and 64 to fold the wings.

Thus the vacuum cylinder 52 serves the purpose of providing single means for selectivelyV moving the wings to folded position and for yieldingly maintaining the wings in extended position.

The present spraying apparatus is compact and comparatively light in weight, and is adapted to be mounted on any conventional automotive vehicle- In operating the improved spraying apparatus, when the operator approaches an inclined or sloping terrain, he can quickly swing the whole sprayer beam as a unit to adjust it to the incline by merely turning the hand` wheel 44 a slight amount.

I claim:

1. Spraying apparatus including an upright frame mounted on one end of a vehicle having a drivers seat, a central transverse sprayer beam member mounted on said upright frame, wing beam members hinged on the outer ends of said central beam member for folding laterally alongside the vehicle when said wing beam members strike an object, sprayer nozzles depending trom said central and wing beam members at intervals longitudinally thereof, and vacuum means operatively connected to said wing beam membersand controllable from said drivers seat for selectively `folding the wing beam members in the same direction as when they strike an object and for maintaining them in extended position in alignment with said central transverse beam member.

2. Spraying apparatus including a support. a central transverse sprayer beam member mounted on said support, Wing beam members hinged on the outer ends of said central beam member for folding laterally at substantially rightangles thereto when said wing beam members strike an objectjsprayer nozzles depending from said central and wing beam members at intervals longitudinally thereof, and vacuum means operatively connected to said Wing beam members for selectively folding them in the same direction as when they strike an object and for yieldingly maintaining them in extended position in alignment with said central transverse beam member.

ABNER J. TROYER. 

